Undergarment



Pierce INVENToR.

A T TOR Nays frz/ing l. PIERCE UNDERGARMENT Flled June 27, 1946 April 6, 1948.

Patented Apr. 6, 1948 UN ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'UNDERGARMENT Irving'Pierce, Dallas, Tex. Application June 27, 1946, Serial No. 679,669

Claims. 1, This invention relates to. new and useful lmprovements in undergarments.

It is customary to wearv hearing-laid devices beneath the outer clothing. Such appliances include an acoustic device which is usually posi- L tioned in the center of the ch'est of the wearer.

Heretofore the practice hasbeen to support the device on a harness employing shoulder straps and body band, usually including elastic portions. Such a harnessis uncomfortable, confines the body and induces higher body temperatures, as well as becoming soiled from perspiration and wear. These harnesses are not readily cleansed and yare comparatively expensive.

One object of the invention is to provide an im-` proved undergarment, such as an undershirt, which while adequately supporting the acoustical device, will be cool and comfortable, as well as comparatively inexpensive and at the same time giving freedom of body movement and being readilywashed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved undergarment of the character described which, in its main'portion's, will be like an ordinary undershirt or unionsuit, but which, is provided with certain reinforcements and additions for adequately and comfortably supporting the acoustical appliance.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an undergarment constructed in accordance with the invention, a portion of the gure of the wearer and an acoustical appliance, being indicated in dotted lines,

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view of the garment,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the garment, and

Fig, 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a modified form of the invention.

In the drawings, the numeral Ill designates generally, an undershirt which in some respects follows the usual construction. This undershirt may be a separate garment or it may be a, part of a unionsuit and it may be made with or without sleeves. I have illustrated a sleeveless type of undershirt. The shirt has the ordinary arm holes II and overlapping open front I 2.

The back or rear side of the neck is reinforced with a yoke I3 sewed to the underside of the tom edge being straight.

neck portion, This yoke hasextensionsA I4 on each side which extend to the shoulder seams I5 and is shaped along its upper portion to conform to the contour of the neck of the shirt. The yoke is amplified to provide a broad reinforcement extending across th'e back of the garment, the bot- This reinforcing vyoke is important, as will be hereinafter pointed out.

` The open front I2 of the shirt has the usual front button fold I6 which overlies the under bottom fold l1. At the upper end of the front bottom fold, thecloth' is extended laterally to:

. form a generally triangular ap I8, which over- 'lies a similar flap' I9, extending from the under fold in the opposite direction. g Each flap has a vbutton 20 or other fastening which engages the edlalong each sideo'f the neck to the adjacent shoulderseam I5`toform `neck strips 2|-, Since the back yoke and the strips are united. .at the shoulder seams, a continuous neck band or reinforcement, including the flaps Il and I8, the strips 2l and the yoke I3, is thus formed. This is an important feature because the acoustical appliance 22 which is carried by the neck band is relatively heavy and without this reinforced support, the front of the shirt would sag and become uncomfortable to the wearer. The neck band evenly distributes th'e weight or load.

The appliance 22 is commonly made with a hook on its rear side and this hook is engaged over the upper edge of thefront flap I8, the under flap I9 not only separates the hook from the wearers body, but by extending upwardly beyond the front flap, holds the top of the hook out of contact with the body. To hold the appliance 22 in place, a transverse loop 23, has its ends sewed to the front flap I 8.

These appliances have an electric current conducting cordr24 to which the ear phone is attached and which extends out through the collar of the wearer, To hold this cord in place, a tape 25 is sewed on each shoulder seam and one of these tapes may be tied around the cord. Some of the appliances require a battery and a pocket 2li is provided under one of the ann holes II, for this purpose.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified form of the invention. Instead of the flaps I8 and I9, the

ends f the neck strips 2| may be continued to the edges of the button folds I6 and l1. 0n each side of the folds, resilient fastener sockets 21 are secured. A pocket 28 having Van upwardly extending back tab 29 is detachably secured to the sockets 21 by resilient fastener studs 30. The appliance 22 is inserted in this pocket and may be detached when desired.

Tests have shown that the undergarment herein set forth may be worn with the ease and comfort of an ordinary undershirt. The binding t and heaviness of the usual harness is entirely eliminated. Owing to the continuous reinforced neck band, there is no appreciable ldownward pull at the front and the loop 23 or the pocket 28, keep the appliance from swinging from sideA to side. The garment may be washed at any time and is therefore sanitary.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustratedl construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claimsfwithout departing from the spirit of the invention'.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

1, An acoustical-appliance undergarment including, an undershirt having an overlapping open front, overlapping laterally-extending flaps at the top of the open front of the shirt, fastening means for each of said flaps, and means for supporting an acoustical appliance at the flaps, the underlying flap extending above the overlying flap for receiving an acoustical-appliance support therebetween.

2. An acoustical-appliance undergarment, including, an undershirt having an overlapping open front, overlapping flaps at the top of the open front of the shirt extending laterally from each side of the open front, fastening means for Y each of said flaps; a reinforcing neck melnloerA connected with the flaps, and means for supporting an acoustical appliance at the flaps.

3. An acoustical-appliance undergarinent including,.an undershirt having an overlapping open front, Overlapping flaps at the top of th open front of said shirt extending laterally from each side of the open front, fastening means for each of said flaps, and a reinforcing neck member connected with said flaps, the underlying flap extending above the overlying iiap for receiving an acoustical-appliance support therebetween and for carrying said support on the front iiap.

' 4. An acoustical-appliance undergarment including,` an undershirt-'f having ian --overlapping open front, overlapping ilaps at the top of the open front of the shirt extending laterally from each side of the open front, fastening means for each of said flaps, means for supporting an acoustical appliance at the flaps, and means for l removably tying an electrical cord on the upper REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences Vare of record in the le of this patent: s l Y g 'Y UNITED STATES PATENTS Number g H Name f Date 879,638 Hayes Feb. 18, 1908 1,900,129 y Ring Mar. 7, 1933 2,156,504: LSS ..`f May 2, 1939 y FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country y Date `Great Britain Sept. 29, 1891 

